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Conan GrayAmerican singer and songwriter
Date of Birth: 05.12.1998
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Conan Gray: The Raven-Haired Pop Prince
- Childhood and Adolescence
- Early Passions and YouTube
- Music Career
- Personal Life
- Conan Gray Today
- Discography
Conan Gray: The Raven-Haired Pop Prince
In the realm of mythology, ravens have long been heralded as symbols of fate, magic, and potential rebirth. Striking parallels can be drawn between this mystical creature and the captivating singer, Conan Gray. Rising from humble beginnings in a small town, the "emo internet boy's pop prince" has soared, breaking free from his "cage" and reaching dizzying heights through his artistry and creativity.
Childhood and Adolescence
Born on December 5, 1998, in San Diego County, California, Conan Li Gray is of mixed heritage, with an Irish father and a Japanese mother. His mother was diagnosed with cancer during her pregnancy, and doctors advised her to terminate, a recommendation she defied. The singer's early life included two years spent in Hiroshima, Japan, where his grandfather required hospital care. As a child, Conan was fluent in Japanese, but lost the language due to lack of practice.
Gray has described his early years as "shitty." His parents divorced upon returning to the United States when he was three, and he was raised primarily by his father. Conan's upbringing involved child protective services, police encounters and evasions, angry wealthy people, angry poor people, thrift store clothes, debt, eviction, and an abundance of yelling and hurt. His father's military career resulted in 12 relocations. As the new kid in various schools, he was bullied for his Asian heritage. Amidst this adversity, Conan matured and became independent at a young age. The family eventually settled in Georgetown, Texas.
Early Passions and YouTube
As a young child, Conan aspired to be a model or actor, but his passion for songwriting ignited at the age of 12. His first compositions were about recipes or shampoo ingredients found in his older sister's catalogs. After discovering Adele, he became obsessed with Lorde's "Pure Heroine" and Taylor Swift's "1989," which became major sources of inspiration.
YouTube emerged as a transformative outlet for Conan. After receiving his first computer as a Christmas gift in 2003, the preteen created four separate profiles, with ConanXCanon becoming his most popular. Among his earliest uploads were videos of him playing with his pet lizard. He shared everything from artwork and photography to personal stories, guitar playing, amateur singing, and marshmallow consumption, filming, editing, and uploading each video himself. Gray's art was fueled by the banality of small-town Texas life, where cows, barns, tractors, and gas stations were the norm. However, in September 2017, he began attending UCLA and relocated to Los Angeles.
Music Career
Conan's debut single, "Idle Town," was self-released on streaming platforms in the spring of 2017. Shortly after, he signed with Republic Records and released his sophomore single, "Generation Why," the following year. November 2018 saw the arrival of his EP, "Sunset Season," recorded into a microphone taped to a broken lamp. It featured the hit "Crush Culture," which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The EP garnered critical acclaim from major music publications. The singer made appearances on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," toured North America with girl in red, served as an opening act for Panic! At the Disco, and performed at festivals. "The idea of being able to work through these things by writing music and then going on tour and singing these songs to thousands of people—it's some form of escapism," the singer shared.
Throughout 2019, Conan released the singles "Checkmate," "Comfort Crowd," and "Maniac," co-written and produced with songwriter and producer Daniel Nigro. "Maniac" became a global radio hit, achieving platinum status in Australia and Canada, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, and charting in Ireland and South Korea. In the fall, the artist embarked on another tour with fellow New Zealander Benee and artist UMI. Gray won the Shorty Award for Best YouTube Musician and was nominated for a 2019 Streamy Award in the Breakthrough category.
Ahead of his full-length debut album release, Conan shared the autobiographical single, "The Story," detailing suburban high school drama, struggles with depression, and suicidal ideation. The songwriter hoped to convey to teenagers that despite the angst of adolescence, their lives will change, and there is hope to be found in the future.
Conan Gray's full-length studio album, "Kid Krow," arrived on March 20, 2020. It debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and ranked second among the top-selling debuts of the year in the United States.
Personal Life
Conan Gray is refreshingly open about his self-identification: he is a "feminine dude," comfortable wearing nail polish and posing in skirts (he is half-Irish, after all!). The musician has even participated in makeup tutorials with Dutch transgender beauty blogger and 2020-2021 Eurovision host NikkieTutorials.
While Gray has featured both male and female partners in his music videos, he has reacted with irritation to direct inquiries about his orientation, requesting that no labels be affixed to him and eschewing discussion of his gender, sexuality, or beliefs altogether. The singer believes in the importance of diversity and individuality, and resists attempts to categorize people into neat and tidy boxes.
In another interview, Conan has expressed that he already feels like he's dating 50 people at once, rendering a romantic relationship unnecessary. He finds himself overwhelmed by the constant influx of information from friends discussing their love lives, and it affects his mood. As a result, one will be hard-pressed to find photos of the artist with a significant other on his social media pages, particularly his Instagram account.
Conan Gray Today
In mid-2020, both Forbes and Billboard named the musician a frontrunner for Best New Artist at the 2021 Grammy Awards. He was nominated for MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Video Awards, and People's Choice Awards, and was included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list of 2021.
Conan's single, "Heather," became a viral hit on TikTok, landing on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. He performed the song on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "The Today Show." Fall 2020 saw the release of his collaborative track, "Fake," with fellow artist Lauv, while a global tour was planned with German singer Bülow.
In October, the artist announced a new venture: a collaboration with Spanish fashion retailer Bershka, offering buyers a gender-neutral collection of clothing items—including shirts, sweaters, corduroy pants, and accessories—featuring Conan's artwork and song lyrics.
Discography
2018 - Sunset Season2020 - Fake
2020 - Kid Krow
